New York mayor hints he may end 2020 presidential bid

[NEW YORK] New York mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday he may drop out of the race to become the 2020 Democratic candidate as early as next month if he fails to muster more support.

Mr De Blasio, 58, is flagging in the polls on just one per cent and faces an uphill battle to meet the criteria required to participate in a key television debate scheduled for mid-October.

"I think the logical thing to say is I'm going to go and try and make the October debates and if I can, that's a good reason to keep going forward, and if I can't, I think it's really tough to conceive of continuing," he told reporters.

It was the first time Mr de Blasio has considered publicly that he could quit.

Candidates in the crowded field will have to register two per cent in four recent polls and have at least 130,000 separate donors in at least 20 US states by October 1 to qualify for the debate.

Mr De Blasio will miss the next debate, on September 12, after failing to meet the criteria, with voters unconvinced he has what it takes to defeat President Donald Trump at the polls.

Six candidates have already dropped out but there are 20 left. More are expected to quit before October's debate.

AFP